Manufacture of shoes



ug. 24, l937. l v J, B, HADAWAY 2,090,675

MANUFACTURE oF sHoEs Filed Nov. 5, 1935 Patented Aug. a4, i937 NETE@ STATES MANUFACTURE F SHOES .lohn B. Hadaway, Swampscott, Mass., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 5., ay corporation of New Jersey Application Ntember 5, 1935, serial No. 48,347

15 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of shoes and is illustrated herein with reference to the manufacture of cross-strap sandals.

In a copending application, Serial No. 48,346, filed November 5, 1935,v in the names of W. I. Gillette and A. W. Dusseault, there is disclosed a method of making cross-strap sandals which, in one of its aspects, involves the preliminary fitting ,of an insole with a series of slots in its opposite lateral marginal portions and the threading of a continuous strip of cross-strap material through these slots in the process of winding the strip around' the insole on a last in such a manner as to provide, at the upper side of the insole, a

series of cross-straps the opposite end portionsV thus to reduce the expense of manufacturing the sandals. x

With this object in view, the'lnvention provides an improved method of making cross-strap sandals which consists in forming a strap-receiving slot or aperture in the marginal portion of an insole in spaced relation to the adjacent portion of its edge face, cutting' through thematerial between the slot and the sole edge thereby providing a normally closed slit capable .of being opened to permit a cross-strap to be introduced laterally into said slot, opening said slit and passing a cross-strap through the slit and into said o slot,y and securing the strap to the insole. As herein illustrated with reference to the manu- 40 facture of a sandal having a plurality of crossstrap loops formed as integral portions of a continuous`ribbon-1ike strip of cross-strap material,

4a plurality of elongated slots are provided in an insole and ythe slots are arranged in the opposite marginal .portions of the insole to receive the opposite end portions oi all the cross-strap loops and the portions of the insole margin between the slots and the sole edge are severed so as to form, in each instance, a slit which is inclined relatively to tile upper and lower surfaces of the insole, the inclination facilitating the passage of the cross-strap laterally through the slit in the act of introducing the strap laterally into the respective slot and also enabling the slit ulti- 5 mately to be permanently closed in such a manner as to render it unnoticeable'in thefinished slice. In cases where a single continuous strip is employed in the making of a sandal having a plurality of cross-straps the strip is wound around an insole, preferably after the insolehas'been tacked to the bottom of the last, and as successive portions of the strap are brought into engagement with the various slitted portions of the sole edge the slits are readily opened by the tension on the strip sufficiently to permit the strip to pass laterally through the slits and to enter laterally into the associated slots without having to be threaded endwise through the slots. If a strip of crossflstrap material is divided into separate cross-straps before being appliedl to a solethe opposite end portions of each strap, instead of having its end portions threaded endwise through slots in the opposite margins o the insole, may be readily slipped laterally tfA ugh theL slits which communicate with those slots merely by lateral movements of the end portions of the strap. After a strip or a plurality ofseparate cross-straps have been applied as hereinbefore described, the end portions of the strip or the straps are suitably secured to the lower surface of the insole and an outsole is attached to the insole. As illustrated, the outsole may be attached by means of stitches which extend through the marginal portions of the inner and outer soles and which thus extend also through the slitted portions of the insole and, which function to maintain the slits permanently closed so that they will be unnoticeable in the finished shoe. 0r other means, for example, cement, may be used for attaching the outsole and for closing the slits in the insole.

Invention is also to be recognized as residing in an improved method of preparing soles for use in making strap sandals as welll as inthe prepared insole itself as an article of manufacture.

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a partially completed cross-strap sandal made in accordance with the present invention, the sandal being shown as it appears` before the cross-straps have been applied to the'heel portion of the sandal and before the outsole has been attached, and the last having been removed to facilitate clearness of illustration;

' Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the completed sandal;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line Ill--IIIv of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating a modification in the mode of .attaching the outsole.

As shown in Fig. 1 an insole I0 is prepared for use in making a cross-strap sandal by hav- 5 ing formed in its opposite lateral marginal portions, by means of suitable punching operations or otherwise,- a, series of apertures herein illustrated Aas elongatedslots I2 for the reception of cross-straps'such as the forepart straps I4 and the heel straps I6. The slots I2 are spaced inwardly from the sole edge and they extend entirely through the insole so that the cross-straps may also extend through the insole from the upper side where they are to engage the foot to the lower side-where they are to be secured in place between the insole and the outsole I8.. As illustrated, the cross-straps I4 are of ribbon-like formation, although they may be shaped otherwise, for example, they may be `round in crosssection, in which case the apertures or slots I2 might be similarly shaped to receive them. Also, as herein illustrated, the cross-straps I4 consist Vof loops formed as integral portions of a single continuous strip of cross-strap material, the opposite end portions of which are indicated at 20, while the illustrated cross-straps I6 are similarly formed from a continuous strip of material, the opposite end portions of the strip forming the heel straps beingpreferably located above the insole, however, where they may be utilized, as herein illustrated, to constitute the end portions of an ankle strap 22. This manner of forming the cross-straps from a continuous strip is advantageous inasmuch as it provides a series of integral cross-stretches 24 which connect the cross-strap loops between the insole and the outsole so as to prevent the loops from pulling loose from the insole as the sandal is being worn. So far as the present invention is concerned, however, each of the cross-straps may consist of a separate strip the opposite end portions of which are passed through oppositely disposed slots in the insole and are secured inplace beneath the insole in any suitable manner.

In order to avoid the expenditure of time and labor necessary to thread the ends of the crossstraps, or the ends of a continuous strip from which a series of cross-strap loops are to be formed, through the slots I2, the insole is further prepared, in accordance with the present invention, by having those portions which are located between each slot and the adjacent edge face of the insole severed, for example cut or slashed, in such a way as to` provide slits or slashes 26 which communicate with the slots I2 and through which the strip or strips which are to form the cross-straps may be passed laterally so that they can be introduced into the slots I2 without having to be threaded or passed endwise through the latter. The slits 26 may conveniently be formed by cutting or slashing inwardly from the sole edge by means of a suitableslashing knife and preferably the knife will be positioned so that the slits will be inclined relatively to the upper and lower surfaces of the insole as herein illustrated. The diagonal slits thus produced, while normally closed, c an be readily opened in a manner to facilitate the passage therethrough of the cross-strap members and thereafter can readily be closed and permanently secured in of a last, the last being narrow enough so that the slotted marginal portions of the insole -will project beyond the last bottom. If a last is employed and a continuous strip is utilized to form the cross-straps, oneend of the strip is first fastened temporarily or otherwise to the bottom of 4the insole and the strip is then wound around the last and insole and, as successive portions of the strip encounter the slits in the edge of the insole, the slits are opened up by the tensiony exerted upon the strip in the winding operation sufficiently to permit the strip to pass edgewise or laterally 'through them and thus to be introduced laterally into the slots I2, the slits closing after the 4strip has passed through them. In this manner no time is lost in threading the strip endwise through the slots and the entire strip m'ay be applied substantially as readily as if it were merely being wound'around the edge of the insole. If separate cross-straps are employed, it is unnecessary to thread the opposite en ds of the straps through the slots but, instead, the end portions of the straps may readily be slipped edgewise through the slits and thus caused to enter the slots with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

After all the cross-straps have been applied and at least their end portions suitably secured to the lower surface of the insole the outsole I8 is laid and permanently attached by any suitable means, for example, by means of cement, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 4, or. by means of throughand-through stitches, as indicated at 30 in Figs. 2 and 3. If cement is employed for attaching the outsole, the cement may be so applied as to-secure to the outsole those portions of the cross-straps which are interposed between the soles as well as to secure together the marginal portions of the insole and the outsole. The attaching cement will flow into the strap-receiving slots I2 in the insole, thus sealing the slots and rendering even more secure the Vattachment of the cross-straps to the shoe bottom. The sole attaching cement may also be applied to the slitted marginal portions of the insole so that it will serve also to maintain the slits permanently closed in the finished shoe. If through-and-through stitches are employed for attaching the outsole to the insole, these stitches will extend through the slitted marginal portions of the insole and effectively maintain the latter permanently closed. The manufacture of the sandal is completed by applying a sock lining 32 tothe foot-engaging side of the insole, the sock lining being cut narrow enough so that its edge will lie just inside the line of the slots.

It is to be noted that in applying a continuous strip to a sole in which the sole margin has been slitted to permit the entrance of the strip laterally into the cross-strap slots, as herein described, it is practicable to wind the strip around the sole and last and to introduce the strip into the slots as the latt'er are successively encountered without first having to sever from the roll or other source of supplythat portion of the strip which is to be used. On the contrary the strip may be unwound fromthe roll a little at a time as it is being used, the roll, for example, being moved around the last as the strip is being applied and it being unnecessary to make the cut which severs the strip from the roll until the last portion of it has been applied. Thus the cut can be made in exactly the proper location to insure against any. of the strip material being wasted. Moreover, in winding a continuous strip around an insole on a last, if the A ci strip is introduced laterally into the slots in the insole by Way of marginal slits communicating therewith, as herein described, it is an easy matter to maintain a desired amount of tension upon the strip to insure the proper tting or conforming of the cross-strap loops to the last and the desired opening of the slits to receive the strip inasmuch as the winding of the strip is not interrupted in a manner to involve slackening of the tension thereon as might happen if it were necessary tothread the strip endwise through the slots during the winding operation. A continuous strip of cross-strap material may be wound around the edge of an insole lwhich is l5 not on a'last, the strip being passed laterally through the various marginal slits as it is being wound and introduced laterally into the respective slots, in succession, after which a last may be introduced beneath the loops of the strip at the upper side of the insole and the latter thus caused to readjust themselves relatively to the insole, if necessary, to insure proper-shaping of the loops to fit the foot.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of making' cross-strap sandals which consists in forming a strap-receiving slot inthe marginal portion of .30 an insole in spaced relation to the adjacent portion of the edge face of the insole, cutting through the material between the sole edge and the slot thereby providing a normally closed slit capable of being opened to permit a cross-strap to be introduced laterally into said slot, opening said slit and passing a cross-strap through the slit and into said slot, and securing the strap to the insole.

2. That improvement in methods of making cross-strap sandals which consists in forming 40 strap-receiving slots spaced from the sole edge in the opposite marginal portions of a sole, forming slits inthose portions of the sole which are located between said slots and the sole edge, said slits extending through the full thickness of said portions of the sole and communicating with said slots, passing a strip of cross-strap material laterally through said slits and introducing it laterally into said slots, and securing the opposite end portions of said strip to the sole.

3. That improvement in methods of preparing insoles for use in making cross-strap sandals which consists in forming a plurality of holes spaced from the sole edge in the opposite lateral marginal portions of an insole, and cutting in, wardly from the sole edge into each of said holes at an oblique angle to the faces of the sole thereby providing inclined slits extending through the material of the sole and communicating with said holes to facilitate the introduction of crossstraps into the slots.

4. That improvement in methods of making cross-strap sandals which consists in forming a strap-receiving aperture in thermarglnal portion of a sole in spaced relation td the adjacent por- .55 tion of the sole edge, severing the material between said aperture and said portion of the sole edge, and, in the process of applying a cross-strap to the sole, passing the strap laterally through said severed portion of the sole andA introducing A70 it laterally into said aperture.

'.75 marginal portions of an insole, cutting through the full thickness and width of the marginal portions of the insole located between said slots and the adjacent sole edge portions, thereby forming a plurality of slits communicating with said slots, winding a continuous strip of cross-strap material transversely around the insole and while so doing forcing diierent portion of said strip against the slitted portions of the sole thereby opening said slits and passing said strip portions through the opened slits and introducing them into said slots, securing said strip to the insole, and attaching an outsole.

6. That improvement in methodsv of making cross-strap sandals which consists in forming a plurality of strap-receiving slots adjacent the sole edge and spaced therefrom in the opposite marginal portions of an insole, cutting through the full thickness and Width of the marginal portions of the insole located between said slots and the adjacent sole edge portions, thereby forming a plurality of slits communicating with said slots, winding a continuous strip of cross-strap material transversely around the insole and while so doing passing diierent portions of said strip laterally through said slits and introducing them laterally into said slots, securing said strip to theA insole, laying an outsole, and stitching together the marginal portions of the outsole land the insole and during the stitching operation passing the stitches through the slitted portions of the sole thereby securing the slits in closed condition.

7. A sole having a strap-receiving hole extending therethrough in a location spaced from the sole edge for the reception of a cross-strap and having that portion of the sole between said hole and the sole edge severed to facilitate the entrance of the strap into said hole.

8. A sole having an aperture spaced from the sole edge for receiving a cross-strap and having a normally closed slit extending through the sole from said slot to the sole edge for facilitating the entrance of a cross-strap into said slot.

9. A sole having a slot spaced from the sole edge for receiving a cross-strap and having a slit inclined to the surface of the sole and leading from the sole edge into said slotL' for permitting the entrance of a cross-strap laterally into said slot.

10. A sole for a cross-strap sandal having a series of marginal holes for the reception of crossstraps, each of said holes being connected with l the adjacent edge face of the sole by means of a slit extending from one surface of the sole to the opposite surface thereof,

11. A sole for a cross-strap sandal having a series of slots in its opposite'lateral marginal portions for receiving cross-straps, said slots being spaced inwardly from the sole edge and being connected with the latter by means of normally closed slits adapted to open tb facilitate the insertion of the cross-straps laterally into said slots.

12. That improvement in methods of making strap sandals which consists in unwinding a continuous strip of strap material from a roll, and

. as the strip is being unwound from the roll windy through said slits thereby causing the strip to enter said holes.`

\ 13. That improvement in methods of making strap sandals which consists in forming in a sole a plurality of cross-strap-receiving holes spaced from the sole edge and a plurality of edge slits adapted when open to provide passages communicating with said holes, placing said sole on a last, unwinding a continuous strip of cross-strap material from a roll and, as the strip is being unwound from the roll, winding it around said sole and last under tension and while thus winding said strip forcing it through said slits one after another and into the holes with Which said slits respectively communicate, and thereafter severportions into said slots, applying securing means to the slitted portions of the sole to hold the slits closed, and attaching an outsole.

15. That'improvement in methods of making cross-strap sandals which consists in winding a continuous strip of cross-strap material transversely around an insole having a plurality of strap-receiving slots adjacent the sole edge and spaced therefrom and having slits extending inwardly fromthe sole edge and communicating with said slots, forcing diierent portions of said strip, while it is being wound around the insole, through said slits and thus introducing said strap portions into said slots, and attaching an outsole by means of cement to the insole and. to the portions of said strip which extend across the lower side of the;insole thereby securing said strip in place.

J OHN B. HADAWAY. 

